The Targaryen civil war will still be developing on schedule. According to Comicbook, the second season of the popular HBO series House of the Dragon won’t be delayed by the Writer’s strike in Hollywood. The strike comes after talks between the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, and the Writers Guild of America (WGA) stopped on Monday night. The strike began on Tuesday and will prevent any writing from being done on any television show or film, including those filming outside the United States until an agreement between the two sides can be reached. 

According to Comicbook, the production of House of the Dragon didn’t come to a halt because of a loophole. The loophole says that production can take place if the scripts were finalized before shooting began. Sources via Comicbook say that all the scripts for the second season had already been turned in for some time before production began. 

Filming of season two of the House of Dragon started less than a month ago in the United Kingdom. The second season is set to be two episodes shorter than the previous season. 

HBO announced the addition of four new cast members to the cast of season two of the popular show. The actors joining the series are Simon Russell Beale (Operation Mincemeat, The Outfit), Freddie Fox (Slow Horses, Coffee Wars), Gayle Rankin (Perry Mason, Kindred), and Abubakar Salim (Raised by Wolves, Jamestown). 

Character names and details have also been revealed via Deadline for the four cast members. Beale will star as Ser Simon Strong, the great-uncle of Larys and Harwin Strong, and the Castellan of Harrenhal; Fox will play Ser Gwayne Hightower, the brother of Queen Aliencet, son of Otto Hightower, and uncle to King Aegon; Rankin will be playing Alys Rivers, a healer, and resident of Harrenhal; Salim will be starring as Alyn of Hull, a sailor in the Velaryon fleet who was there during the Stepstones campaign. 

The returning cast members for season two include Emma D’Arcy (Mothering Sunday, Truth Seekers) as Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen; Olivia Cooke (Bates Motel, Ready Player One) as Queen Alicent Hightower; Matt Smith (Doctor Who, The Crown) as Daemon Targaryen; Eve Best (Fate: The Winx Saga, Lucky Man) as Rhaenys Targaryen; Steve Toussaint (Before We Die, Rain Dogs) as Lord Corlys Velaryon; Fabien Franker (Venice at Dawn, The Serpent) as Ser Criston Cole; Ewan Mitchell (The Last Kingdom, Trigger Point) as Prince Aemond Targaryen; Tom Glynn-Carney (The King, Tolkien) as King Aegon II Targaryen; Sonoya Mizuno (Crazy Rich Asians, Shortcomings) as Mysaria; Rhys Ifans (Elementary, The Amazing Spider-Man) as Ser Otto Hightower; Harry Collett (Casualty, Dolittle) as Prince Jacaerys ‘Jace’ Velaryon; Bethany Antonia (Nolly, Stay Close) as Lady Baela Targaryen; Phoebe Campbell (Midsomer Murders, Home from Home) as Lady Rhaena Targaryen; Phia Saban (The Last Kingdom) as Princess Helaena Targaryen; Jefferson Hall (Chemistry of Death, Devs) as Ser Tyland Lannister, and Matthew Needham (Great Expectations, Sanditon) as Lord Larys Strong.

House of the Dragon follows a period of House Targaryen, 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, in which there was a conflict between the members of the family. The show’s first season set the events in motion and introduced the characters. In the first season, we see how King Viserys is desperate for a male heir, but after the death of his wife Aemma in childbirth, the king decides to name his daughter Rhaenyra as the heir to the Iron Throne. His decision doesn’t sit all too well with his hand Otto Hightower who is suggesting the king remarries and has male heirs. The king marries Alicent Hightower, and a year after she gives birth to a son. The rest of the season follows the animosity developing between Rhaenyra and Alicent as their children get older and King Viserys gets sicker. 

Season two of House of the Dragon is rumored to premiere in the summer of 2024. Season one of the show is available to stream on HBO and HBO Max. All seasons of Game of Thrones are available on HBO and HBO Max.